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“A serpent slithers on its belly while a sycophant walks on two legs, but both are venomous.”
—Eduvie Donald
By Cosmas Omegoh
Kano State governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, lately forced an upheaval in the state, following his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC). He has now set the stage for a potential showdown which observers judge will be seismic in nature when the time comes.
Yusuf was elected governor in 2023 on the platform of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP). But following a recent trend, days ago, he broke with his godfather, Mohammed Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, a kingpin of Kano politics by joining ranks with the APC. And by that move, Yusuf sealed his place as the ninth state governor to cross over to the ruling party.
Some analysts hold that the gale of defections of opposition governors align with the ruling party’s determination to asphyxiate and dominate the political space. Some other persons have reasoned to the contrary, contending that the governors joining the APC were influenced by a pull factor.
Ahead of Yusuf’s crossover, he had met President Bola Tinubu in Aso Rock Villa, most probably to put the final icing on the cake. What followed was his January 25, 2026 defection announcement.
Thus far, pundits have been pondering the real reason opposition governors are switching allegiance in the manner they are doing.
Governor Yusuf on his part, had cited “persistent internal challenges arising from leadership disagreements and ongoing legal processes,” in NNPP as part of the reason for exiting the party. He was upbeat that at APC, he would strive harder to provide more dividends of democracy for the teaming Kano critical mass.
One of his aides, Kabiru Dakata, who is the Director General of the Kano State Signage and Advertising Agency, volunteered that his boss moved to his new party because “APC states benefit more from the Federal Government compared to states controlled by the opposition.”
The governor’s action surprisingly got an endorsement from his erstwhile party which in a statement issued by its National Chairman, North West, Alh Sani Danmasani, said he action was based on the overall development of the state, while accusing Kwankwaso of scheming to hijack their party and rebuffing efforts at reconciling him with Yusuf.
Earlier, it was Kwankwaso’s rumoured defection to the APC that was in the air. Observers had waited for the move with bated breath but that didn’t happen.
When, therefore, Yusuf announced his exit, it was a tsunami of some sort. He departed with 21 members of the state House of Assembly including the Speaker, eight members of the House of Representatives, and 44 local government chairmen in the state.
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It was another clean sweep of the opposition. The development had rattled his godfather, Kwankwaso, who felt betrayed and was compelled to declare January 23, “World Betrayal Day.”
Kwankwaso told the media while reflecting on the incident that: “When I lie down, I reflect and ask myself: what really happened? Who was at fault? Was it me? Was it the party? Were party members at fault? But I have not been able to find an answer.”
But Governor Yusuf seems unfazed. For now, he has said his final goodbye – at least for now – not just to his mentor, Kwankwaso, but to the Kwankwasiya movement that once gave him life and the NNPP that gave him wings. He has gone to where he supposedly feels his interest is best served.
To Governor Yusuf, the way forward is forward. To further cement his place on the Kano political landscape, he is reported to be plotting an alliance with his predecessor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje with whom he was once at war in the early days of his administration. Both men are now teaming up to give Kwankwaso the fight of his life. The soul of Kano State is up for grabs by the fittest.
For the records, this is the second time that Kwankwaso has been handed this short end of the stick. Ganduje who served under him as deputy governor (1999 to 2003 and from 2011 to 2015) at a time left his ranks. Now, both men who were once political bedfellows stand irreconcilable.
There were allegations that Ganduje did not like the sound of Kwankwaso joining the APC. Apparently, the mere thought of having to sit with him at the table to plot the winning ways was unsettling. It is anybody’s guess how relieved he probably was when news filtered that Kwankwaso’s planned defection to the APC had been put on hold.
As the days approach, the battle cry to capture Kano in 2027 is already resounding louder. For sure, the stakes are sky-high; there is everything to fight for. So, showdown looms. Will it be Kwankwaso and his Kwankwasiya red-cap-wearing mob that will sweep Kano when the time comes, given that the Kano strongman might pitch his tent with the African Democratic Congress (ADC)? Or will the Ganduje-Yusuf alliance pull the rug off his feet, bolstered by the support that is sure to come from Abuja? Or will both parties evenly share the spoils since they are already dividing loyalty and sympathy? For sure, some will be for Kwankwaso, some will be for Yusuf.
In the light of the foregoing, the colour of the approaching political contest in Kano is best imagined.
For what it is worth, Kwankwaso is on the ground in Kano. The state is his bastion and his bargaining chip. Right now, he is wounded; that is clear for everyone to see. His political days look numbered if Kano slips from his fingers. It will be a requiem to his once illustrious political career if he loses out in the next ballot. For sure, he knows that too well, much more than everyone else. That is why come the next elections, he will be throwing not just his hat into the ring but everything; he will fight to the bitter end to defend and secure his backyard.
But attention is also on the Ganduje-Yusuf duet. Both men now appear to be currently on trial. If Kwankwaso dusts them, that will be the boldest statement that Ganduje is paper-weight in Kano despite being a two-time governor. So, he will be the happiest of men if when the chips are down, he is singing the victor’s song. He too knows that too well.
Governor Yusuf himself remains every inch a neophyte despite being the current state chief executive. In the election that brought him to power, he flew on eagle’s wings. He won a battle fought for him on all fronts. Now, this one will be different.
But what will be going for the governor is that he holds the levers of power. He probably has learnt faster than anyone can imagine. Now, so much is at stake for him.
As for the people of Kano, the critical question stakeholders watching the spectacle are asking is: where will all the shenanigans leave them? Where will they locate themselves in that critical power matrix? Who will serve their best interest: Kwankwaso or Yusuf? These are hefty questions they must answer satisfactorily to survive the politicians on the rampage. That is the conviction that must guide their every step of the way when the closing stages of electioneering approach. That is the compass that must guide them as they print on the ballot paper. And where their will is allowed to prevail, it is only they that will say who rules Kano for another four years after May 2027.
